Functional hearing loss and developmental imbalances.

Objective: Functional hearing loss (FHL) is a disorder in which there are abnormal values on a hearing test, despite the absence of organic abnormalities in the peripheral and central auditory pathways. Here, we examined the developmental characteristics of FHL and the importance of intervention by analyzing the clinical characteristics of children with this disorder.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 16 patients assessed under a diagnosis of FHL.

Novel application of a rigid curved larygno-pharyngoscope for examination and treatment of hypopharyngeal lesions.

In endoscopic laryngo-pharyngeal surgery (ELPS), a rigid curved laryngo-pharyngoscope, which was invented by Dr. Sato et al., is necessary to obtain excellent surgical view of both hypopharynx and even the entrance of the esophagus.

Duplicated internal auditory canal with inner ear malformation: Case report and literature review.

Internal auditory canal anomalies are rare. Narrow internal auditory canal is believed to occur as a result of aplasia or hypoplasia of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Narrow duplication of the internal auditory canal is considered to be very rare.

Nasolacrimal duct opening to the inferior nasal meatus in human fetuses.

The purpose of this study is to describe the Hasner's membrane which is the main factor of congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Hasner's membrane at the nasal end of the fetal nasolacrimal duct (NLD) is considered to rupture at and after birth. However, topographical anatomy around the membrane as well as a mechanism of rupture seems to be still obscure.

Impact of Audio-Visual Asynchrony on Lip-Reading Effects -Neuromagnetic and Psychophysical Study.

The effects of asynchrony between audio and visual (A/V) stimuli on the N100m responses of magnetoencephalography in the left hemisphere were compared with those on the psychophysical responses in 11 participants. The latency and amplitude of N100m were significantly shortened and reduced in the left hemisphere by the presentation of visual speech as long as the temporal asynchrony between A/V stimuli was within 100 ms, but were not significantly affected with audio lags of -500 and +500 ms. However, some small effects were still preserved on average with audio lags of 500 ms, suggesting similar asymmetry of the temporal window to that observed in psychophysical measurements, which tended to be more robust (wider) for audio lags; i.

Pyramidal lobe of the thyroid gland and the thyroglossal duct remnant: a study using human fetal sections.

To investigate developmental changes in the thyroglossal duct, we observed serial sagittal sections of eight embryos (crown-rump length (CRL) 6-12 mm; approximately 5-6 weeks of gestation) as well as serial horizontal or cross-sections of 70 embryos and fetuses (CRL 15-110 mm; 6-15 weeks). In the sagittal sections, the thyroglossal duct was identified as a small sheet or mass of relatively large cells with vacuolization anterior, superior or inferior to the fourth pharyngeal arch artery. However, we found no continuous duct-like structure that reached the thyroid gland.

Audiological evidence of therapeutic effect of steroid treatment in neuromyelitis optica with hearing loss.

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an autoimmune astrocytopathy caused by anti-aquaporin 4 antibody. Only two patients with NMO have been reported presenting with hearing disorders to our knowledge. We recently treated a 40-year-old woman with NMO complaining of right hearing loss.

Heterogeneity of glandular cells in the human salivary glands: an immunohistochemical study using elderly adult and fetal specimens.

Using immunohistochemical staining for alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100 protein (S100), p63, cytokeratin 14 (CK14), and cytokeratin 19 (CK19), we studied acinar and myoepithelial cells of major and minor salivary glands obtained from 14 donated cadavers (78-92 years old) and 5 donated fetuses (aborted at 15-16 weeks of gestation). CK and p63 expression was investigated only in the adult specimens. SMA was detected in all adult glands as well as in fetal sublingual and pharyngeal glands.

Acquired idiopathic laryngomalacia treated by laser supraglottic laryngoplasty.

Laryngomalacia is the most common cause of stridor in neonates and infants, where the soft cartilages and tissues surrounding the upper larynx collapse inward during respiration. On the other hand, acquired idiopathic laryngomalacia in adults is quite rare, but should be borne in mind for differential diagnosis of upper airway distress. Allergic factors may cause airway distress, but have not been highlighted previously as the background of laryngomalacia.

Fetal development of the elastic-fiber-mediated enthesis in the human middle ear.

In the human middle ear, the annular ligament of the incudostapedial joint and the insertions of the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles contain abundant elastic fibers; i.e., the elastic-fiber-mediated entheses.

A ganglion cell cluster along the glossopharyngeal nerve near the human palatine tonsil.

Conclusion: The lingual branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve were most likely to bring not only gustatory nerves to the postsulcal part of the tongue but also autonomic nerves to the small glands and vessels. Tonsillectomy may injure the ganglion or reduce its function due to scar formation after surgery.

Objectives: To determine the topographical anatomy of a suggested ganglion cluster along the lingual branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve and to identify the incidence.